CRYSTAL PACKS

Crystal thought of her father, Manner Brook, as she packed her bags to go to the Land of the Unknown. Even though Manner Brook had been very busy with taking care of his road, The Red Runway, he always had time for his children. His oldest son, Granite, had grown into a proper man and was a father himself. The Crystal thought of Stalagmite, her younger sister and Stalactite, her youngest brother. Crystal was happy they were going to school.

She remembered Bug V and that feeding the bugs in Bug V was the most exciting thing for the people in Tinker Town. But Crystal wanted mote. When she was younger she had dreams of living in Richlend with lots of money. But now, she was going to the Land of the Unknown. No one knew that Crystal was going to the Land of the Unknown. Crystal didn't want them to know because the land was forbidden. Tinker Town was building the Robithiya to destroy the Land of the Unknown.

No one had ever been to the Land of the Unknown and yet the whole town was building a bomb to blow up the Land of the Unknown. It was called Robithiya. Crystal wanted to see The Land of the Unknown. She wanted to see what was there and she was ready for an adventure.

THE LAND OF THE UNKNOWN

As Crystal was walking down the street holding her air tank to go to the Land of Unknown. She thought once more of her family here in Tinker Town. Then she stopped right in front of a very long gate leading into The Land of the Unknown, which was all water. She opened the gate and walked up to the water of The Land of the Unknown. She looked into the dark deep water put on her air tank and then plunged in.

As soon as she was in the water, she saw a big tan monster. It had eight huge legs that had suckers on them. The legs came out of its head. The monster had no body. Then Crystal wondered if she should have come. Maybe Tinker Town should use the Robithya to blow up The Land of the Unknown with these monsters.

Then something far away moved. The monster turned bright pink and there was a blue cloud all around it. It scared Crystal so much that she swam into a cave to hide. While Crystal was in the cave, she started to talk to herself. She said, "What should I do with these monsters that have eight legs with suckers on them? They can even change color." Right then a little monster came and said, "I am Pebble and we are not monsters. We are octopuses. We have eight legs with suckers on them so that we can grab things."

While Pebble was talking, Crystal thought these are amazing creatures, maybe we should not blow them up.

Pebble went on, "we make blue ink when we are scared so that our enemies can't see us. That other octopus that you saw was Rocky. She is my mother. I have never seen you before. Have you ever been here?" asked Pebbles.

"No. I live in Tinker Town." Said Crystal.

"My mother and I will show you around," said Pebble.

As they were swimming around, Crystal was scared when a trumpet came swimming up to them. It sounded an alarm. Then a whole herd of swimming trumpets charged at them! Rocky, Pebble and Crystal quickly swam away.

Once the trumpets were out of sight, Crystal wondered if Tinker Town should blow up these swimming trumpets. But then Rocky said, "Those were sea horses. They are very curious. They wanted to get a closer look at you." Crystal thought they should not blow them up.

As they swam along, Crystal realized that her air tank was almost empty. Just then, three long swimming ropes came up to them. They started swimming around and around Crystal. As they were, Crystal began to get scared. She wondered if Tinker Town should blow up these swimming ropes. Suddenly the ropes swam away. Pebble said, 'Those were electric eels." Crystal looked at her air tank and announced, "The electric eels filled my air tank all up!" Crystal thought Tinker Town should not blow these eels up.

Right then five brightly colored creatures swam by. They looked like the clowns Crystal had dreamt of in Richlend's castle. Pebble explained they were clown fish. They swam by so gracefully! They were brighter and more beautiful than any Bug V she had ever seen! Crystal thought this land was perfect. She was ashamed that Tinker Town wanted to blow it up with the Roybithia."We have to go back to Tinker Town and stop them from blowing the Land of Unknown up." Crystal explained that Tinker Town was going to blow up the Land of Unknown with the Robithia and that she would go back and try to stop the Robithia. Rocky and Pebble said "Take this conch shell with you, when you are out of the water you will hear the ocean and remember us."

As Crystal got out of the water she took off her air tank and put the conch shell into her air tank. Then she went to see Master Rubble, who was the master of the Robithia. She had to tell him to stop the Robithya from blowing up the Land of the Unknown.

When she got there she told him that he could not blow up the Land of the Unknown. She said, "There aren't monsters or anything to be scared of and there is no reason to blow it up." But Master Rubble said, "How do you know?"

"I have been to the Land of the Unknown," said Crystal.

But Master Rubble still said, "I need proof that there is at least one good thing in that land. Someone has to go to the Land of Unknown and bring me back some proof."

Then Crystal said she would go back to the Land of the Unknown. So Master Rubble told his guards to get her air tank ready. A little while later the guards came in holding a shell and they said, "Look what we found in her air tank! It is one of the most beautiful things that we've ever seen!"

Master Rubble said, " This is perfect. Crystal you shall tell us what it is at the Town meeting in an hour."

So Crystal went home and said hello to her family and then thought about what she should say. When the time came she went to give her speech. When she arrived she said, " This is a beautiful conch shell that comes from the Land of Unknown you can hear the waves through it." Then Crystal said, "We can't blow up the Land of the Unknown. It is such a good place. There are octopus and curious sea horses. There are nice and friendly electric eels. And there are beautiful colored fish! We can't blow them up!"

Just then Master Rubble said, "Everyone come back in two hours and we will vote to see if we should blow it up or not."

And in two hours everyone came back and voted. Only one person wanted to blow the Land of the Unknown up, Mr. Grumpy. So it was said that they would not blow up the Land of Unknown.

A few days later Crystal asked Mr. Grumpy if he would take a walk with her. He said that he would. As they were working beside the water of the Land of Unknown Mr. Grumpy saw a monster emerging from the water!

Mr. Grumpy said, "I knew there were monsters all along. NOW listen, I will jump in and catch it. I know how to swim."

But Crystal said, "no these are not monsters. They are octopuses and they are friendly. They won't hurt us or anyone else! But Mr. Grumpy still said, "Prove it".

Crystal had no time to answer. Instead the octopus said, " I am Gravel. You are Crystal. And who are you?"

"Why I am Mr. Grumpy," he said.

And that is how their very long conversation started. As they talked Crystal saw Mr. Grumpy's smile get bigger and bigger. She also saw how late it was getting. Finally she said that it was time to go, and that if he enjoyed it so much that he could start a job and teach people how to swim. The whole way back Mr. Grumpy thought about what Crystal had said. When they got back Mr. Grumpy said that he had thought about the job and agreed it was a grand idea.

It was such a grand idea that he would do it! Crystal was so happy she jumped up in the air and clapped her hands three times and said that she was absolutely positively sure that he would have fun.

The land of Unknown was safe. And every one was happy swimming with the good instructions of Mr. Grumpy. But most of all Tinker Town learned not to be afraid of every thing that's different.